www.jobberz.com
Economist sees more job losses coming
Friday, December 12, 2008 By Chris KnapeThe Grand Rapids Press
GRAND RAPIDS -- Recovery from the recession may come more slowly than in the past, although West Michigan is better positioned to move forward than the rest of the state and some other areas of the nation.
That was the assessment of economist George Erickcek, of the Kalamazoo-based W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, during his annual forecast speech for The Right Place Inc. on Thursday.
He discouraged people from looking from at distressed financial markets simply as markets.
"You should look at them as a system," Erickcek said. "If a truck jackknifed on Int. 96, it doesn't matter if you're driving a Chevette or a Lexus, you're stuck."
He said 2009 is likely to see a 2.4 percent decline in employment in the Grand Rapids area after a flat 2008.
Erickcek forecasts a very small increase in 2010. Goods-producing jobs are expected to take the biggest hit, while service and government jobs are expected to be down slightly.
The outlook for the broader region, including Holland and Muskegon, showed similar overall expectations.
"Flat is good," he said, dryly.
Erickcek expects a timid goods-producing job rebound when the recession ends, likening it to the "job-loss" recovery the nation saw after the 2000 recession.
His forecast also suggested now is not a good time to start a business.
The silver lining is it could be worse. West Michigan's relatively steady downturn has been far less dramatic than the state's as a whole.
Meanwhile, the Grand Rapids area was the leader among 12 communities Erickcek compared in terms of job creation as a percentage of total employment.
"Grand Rapids is keeping pace with manufacturing job loss with the rest of the nation," he said.
"We are separate from the rest of the state. It's hard to make people see that, but we are."
Nevertheless, West Michigan's positive news is much harder to sell to companies whose first look at the state includes the far more dismal employment outlook on the east side of the state.
"If this forecast holds true, and let's hope we're wrong, that means 10 straight years of employment declines in our state," Erickcek said.
"When people outside the state look at the numbers, they see a state in decline. That has to make economic development much more difficult in West Michigan."
Friday, December 19, 2008
StoryText SizeMich. Nov. Unemployment Rises To 9.6 %
www.jobberz.com
POSTED: Wednesday, December 17, 2008
UPDATED: 11:41 am EST December 18, 2008
LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan's unemployment rate rose to 9.6 percent in November, the highest monthly rate since March 1992, state officials said Wednesday.
The November rate was three-tenths of a percentage point higher than in October.
The Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth said total employment fell by 35,000 and unemployment rose by 16,000, as the labor force continued to contract.
The seasonally adjusted jobless rate was 2.2 percentage points higher than in November 2007, generally following a national trend of rising unemployment. Michigan's jobless rate remained higher than the national unemployment rate, which was 6.7 percent last month.
State officials attribute the labor market's deterioration to fallout from the national recession.
Total employment in Michigan has fallen every month since January. November also marked the fifth straight month of payoll job reductions in the state. About 103,000 jobs were lost in those five months, representing 90 percent of the state's over-the-year losses.
The only major industry in Michigan to see job gains in the last year was education and health services, gaining 12,000 jobs.
Manufacturing lost 38,000 jobs since November 2007, while trade, transportation and utilities lost 21,000 jobs and the construction sector lost 17,000 jobs.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
POSTED: Wednesday, December 17, 2008
UPDATED: 11:41 am EST December 18, 2008
LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan's unemployment rate rose to 9.6 percent in November, the highest monthly rate since March 1992, state officials said Wednesday.
The November rate was three-tenths of a percentage point higher than in October.
The Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth said total employment fell by 35,000 and unemployment rose by 16,000, as the labor force continued to contract.
The seasonally adjusted jobless rate was 2.2 percentage points higher than in November 2007, generally following a national trend of rising unemployment. Michigan's jobless rate remained higher than the national unemployment rate, which was 6.7 percent last month.
State officials attribute the labor market's deterioration to fallout from the national recession.
Total employment in Michigan has fallen every month since January. November also marked the fifth straight month of payoll job reductions in the state. About 103,000 jobs were lost in those five months, representing 90 percent of the state's over-the-year losses.
The only major industry in Michigan to see job gains in the last year was education and health services, gaining 12,000 jobs.
Manufacturing lost 38,000 jobs since November 2007, while trade, transportation and utilities lost 21,000 jobs and the construction sector lost 17,000 jobs.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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